The market’s AI arms race is no longer just about chatbots and software. It’s becoming a battle over electricity, data centers, and perhaps most importantly — chips. That’s why Elon Musk’s next move after SpaceX’s highly anticipated June 12 IPO may surprise investors. Not another rocket launch. Not a social media platform. Not even another ... Prediction: Elon Musk’s SpaceX Will Buy Intel for $1 T...
The market’s AI arms race is no longer just about chatbots and software. It’s becoming a battle over electricity, data centers, and perhaps most importantly — chips. That’s why Elon Musk’s next move after SpaceX’s highly anticipated June 12 IPO may surprise investors. Not another rocket launch. Not a social media platform. Not even another ... Prediction: Elon Musk’s SpaceX Will Buy Intel for $1 Trillion
Key Points Arm stock has soared in 2026. Arm stock is trading at a rich valuation, so investors may be more comfortable investing in an AI ETF. 10 stocks we like better than Arm Holdings › Thanks in large part to the market's rampant enthusiasm for artificial intelligence (AI) stocks, Arm Holdings (NASDAQ: ARM) stock has soared more than 210% since the start of 2026, and one firm thinks that the s...
Key Points Arm stock has soared in 2026. Arm stock is trading at a rich valuation, so investors may be more comfortable investing in an AI ETF. 10 stocks we like better than Arm Holdings › Thanks in large part to the market's rampant enthusiasm for artificial intelligence (AI) stocks, Arm Holdings (NASDAQ: ARM) stock has soared more than 210% since the start of 2026, and one firm thinks that the stock is poised to rocket even higher. This new, bullish outlook on Arm stock is driving the semiconductor stock higher during today's market session. As of 11:36 a.m. ET, shares of Arm are up 13%. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » This firm sees Arm stock ascending to a new all-time high Maintaining an outperform rating, Mizuho hiked its price target on Arm stock to $360 from $290. According to Thefly.com, the firm raised its price target on the belief that demand for dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a type of computer memory used to temporarily store data that your computer is actively using, will remain strong through 2027; moreover, Mizuho recognizes that the high bandwidth memory's total addressable market is growing -- two factors that bode well for semiconductor specialist Arm. Based on Arm's closing price of $302.71, the new price target implies upside of 19%. Should Arm stock, in fact, rise to $360, it will represent a new all-time high. As of this writing, Arm's intraday high was $345.60 earlier today. Will Arm stock cost you an arm and a leg? While Mizuho sees Arm stock continuing to rise, investors should bear in mind that shares are trading at a steep valuation -- about 356 times trailing earnings. In light of this, AI investors may be more comfortable investing in an AI ETF that includes Arm stock among its holdings to gain exposure to Arm stock. Should you buy stock in Arm ...
Earnings Call Insights: Nutanix (NTNX) Q3 2026 Management View “In our third quarter, we delivered quarterly revenue of $703 million, above our guidance range, grew our ARR 15% year-over-year to $2.43 billion and saw solid free cash flow generation,” said (CEO & Director Rajiv Ramaswami), while also citing “over 700 new customers in Q3.” (CEO Ramaswami) framed supply chain pressure as ongoing: “Su...
Earnings Call Insights: Nutanix (NTNX) Q3 2026 Management View “In our third quarter, we delivered quarterly revenue of $703 million, above our guidance range, grew our ARR 15% year-over-year to $2.43 billion and saw solid free cash flow generation,” said (CEO & Director Rajiv Ramaswami), while also citing “over 700 new customers in Q3.” (CEO Ramaswami) framed supply chain pressure as ongoing: “Supply chain challenges continue to drive higher prices and generally longer lead times for server hardware from our partners,” and said customer choice is a mitigation lever, including “choice of adopting our cloud platform with a growing number of external storage options.” (CEO Ramaswami) highlighted product and partnership milestones from .NEXT and NVIDIA GTC, including: “We announced Nutanix Agentic AI,” “introduced NKP Metal,” and “announcing new partnerships with NetApp and Lenovo to support their storage platforms,” with “availability for both of these new solutions… expected within this calendar year.” “In Q3, we reported results that were above the high end of the range for all guided metrics,” said (Principal Accounting Officer & CFO Rukmini Sivaraman), and added capital actions: “our Board increased our existing share repurchase authorization by $750 million,” while the company “repurchased $50 million worth of common stock.” Outlook (CFO Sivaraman) guided Q4 fiscal 2026 revenue to $725 million to $745 million and non-GAAP operating margin to 21% to 23%. (CFO Sivaraman) raised FY 2026 guidance to revenue of $2.82 billion to $2.84 billion, non-GAAP operating margin of approximately 22.5%, and free cash flow of $760 million to $780 million. (CFO Sivaraman) said, “our TCV bookings expectations for the full year are higher relative to our last earnings call,” but also warned that server supply issues “continues to impact the timing of conversion of our bookings into revenue,” and added, “We expect this to continue in fiscal Q4 and into fiscal year '27.” (CFO Sivaraman...
Paul Magnier of Soudal Quick-Step completed a hat-trick of victories in this Giro d’Italia by winning a bunch sprint on stage 18 in Pieve di Soligo. The 22-year-old Frenchman was perfectly set up by his teammate Jasper Stuyven in the final few high-speed turns and powered to the line, after 171km of racing, ahead of two Italian sprinters. Edoardo Zambanini (Bahrain Victorious) was second with Jona...
Paul Magnier of Soudal Quick-Step completed a hat-trick of victories in this Giro d’Italia by winning a bunch sprint on stage 18 in Pieve di Soligo. The 22-year-old Frenchman was perfectly set up by his teammate Jasper Stuyven in the final few high-speed turns and powered to the line, after 171km of racing, ahead of two Italian sprinters. Edoardo Zambanini (Bahrain Victorious) was second with Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) third on an undulating stage that began in Fai della Paganella in Trentino. Victory for Magnier, who also won the first and third stages in Bulgaria, means he takes the lead in the points classification. Jonas Vingegaard, the overall race leader, attacked on the day’s short sharp final climb inside the final 10km, but eventually settled for a place in the main bunch to preserve his big lead. The Dane (Team Visma-Lease A Bike) is attempting to complete his set of Grand Tour triumphs and leads by 4:03 minutes with three stages left. The 171km stage came alive after a four-man break of Mattia Bais (Polti-VisitMalta), Andrea Mifsud (Polti-VisitMalta), Jonas Geens (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and James Shaw (EF Education-EasyPost) was caught with around 25 km to go. The 1.1km Il Muro di Ca del Poggio ramp, with gradients of 19%, provided a sharp sting in the tail and for a while it looked like Vingegaard might go for the stage win. View image in fullscreen Jonas Vingegaard in pink among the peloton passing a vineyards from Fai della Paganella to Pieve di Soligo. Photograph: Tim de Waele/Getty Images Afonso Eulalio, who recovered from a crash earlier in the day, also sensed an opportunity. But in the end it was a day for the sprinters and Soudal Quick-Step played the perfect hand as Stuyven led Magnier into the final tricky corner, giving his young teammate the perfect line for his final burst of acceleration to the line. “I had a lot of confidence this morning,” said Magnier, who also wore the race leader’s Maglia Rosa jersey after his earlier stage wins. “My te...
Giving a manager their first senior job in football is always a risk, but Kroenke says Arteta's character made it clear that he was the right candidate to succeed Unai Emery in December 2019. "Anybody that gets a chance to be around Mikel, you can buy into what he's selling pretty easily," Kroenke said. "So I don't want to give myself or my father [Stan Kroenke, founder and chairman of KSE and co-...
Giving a manager their first senior job in football is always a risk, but Kroenke says Arteta's character made it clear that he was the right candidate to succeed Unai Emery in December 2019. "Anybody that gets a chance to be around Mikel, you can buy into what he's selling pretty easily," Kroenke said. "So I don't want to give myself or my father [Stan Kroenke, founder and chairman of KSE and co-chair of Arsenal] any credit. "I think Mikel and his staff and our players are the ones that earned those rights to have the patience in those moments by the amount of work and energy they were putting in behind the scenes." Arteta won the 2020 FA Cup but finished eighth in a league affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, which meant games were played behind closed doors. "I don't know if I would ever acknowledge it, or Mikel or anybody - there was something about Mikel having a little bit of what I would say 'space' during Covid when there weren't fans around." Kroenke said. "There were some growing pains that went on during matches, different moments, and obviously we won the FA Cup, but to not have that extra pressure of fans being on top of you at different points in time when we were going through different growth phases was probably something I don't think any of us would acknowledge in the moment. "But, looking back I think we can say 'maybe that was a little bit of a benefit'."
The pitch for Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF (NYSEARCA:VTI) has always been embarrassingly simple: own every public US stock that matters, charge almost nothing, and wait. That is it. The fund holds no tactical tilts, factor overlays, or managers trying to time the rotation out of tech. Which is why it is mildly ... Wall Street’s Laziest Fund Is Outperforming Against SPY – Time to Swit...
The pitch for Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF (NYSEARCA:VTI) has always been embarrassingly simple: own every public US stock that matters, charge almost nothing, and wait. That is it. The fund holds no tactical tilts, factor overlays, or managers trying to time the rotation out of tech. Which is why it is mildly ... Wall Street’s Laziest Fund Is Outperforming Against SPY – Time to Switch to VTI?
Apple AAPL is increasingly leveraging AI as a core driver of revenue growth across its hardware, services and enterprise businesses. Management is positioning Apple Intelligence as deeply integrated into the company’s ecosystem rather than as a standalone AI product. The company’s expanding Apple Intelligence capabilities are expected to materially strengthen Apple’s long-term growth prospects by ...
Apple AAPL is increasingly leveraging AI as a core driver of revenue growth across its hardware, services and enterprise businesses. Management is positioning Apple Intelligence as deeply integrated into the company’s ecosystem rather than as a standalone AI product. The company’s expanding Apple Intelligence capabilities are expected to materially strengthen Apple’s long-term growth prospects by deepening ecosystem engagement, accelerating device upgrades, expanding services monetization opportunities, and reinforcing Apple’s competitive differentiation around privacy-focused AI. The clearest evidence of AI-driven revenue growth appeared in the iPhone business. Apple reported iPhone revenue of $57 billion, up 22% year over year and a March quarter record. Management repeatedly linked the success of the iPhone 17 lineup to the integration of Apple Intelligence. Apple also highlighted that the A19 and A19 Pro chips include neural accelerators designed to deliver “a huge boost to AI performance.” Apple is also leveraging AI to accelerate Mac growth, which rose 6% year over year to $8.4 billion, despite supply constraints. Apple specifically attributed the elevated demand for Mac Mini and Mac Studio to increasing adoption of AI and agentic workloads. The company added that MacBook Neo is resonating strongly with new customers and enterprise users seeking AI-capable devices at a lower price point. Enterprise AI adoption is becoming another meaningful growth vector. Marsh adopted iPhone 17 devices and Macs as part of internal AI initiatives, while Freshworks deployed more than 5,000 MacBook devices to accelerate AI development. Apple also highlighted that AI developers such as Perplexity are choosing Mac as a preferred platform for building enterprise-grade AI assistants and autonomous agents because of Apple Silicon’s unified memory architecture and on-device AI capabilities. AI is further supporting growth in Apple’s wearables and services ecosystem. Apple introduced A...
A landmark report has warned that the UK risks a ‘lost generation’ of young people, as new figures show that more than 1 million 16- to 24-year-olds in the UK were not in education, employment or training. The former Labour cabinet minister Alan Milburn said youth disengagement was a mounting economic risk to the country, and urged a fundamental reset of policy covering schools, the health service...
A landmark report has warned that the UK risks a ‘lost generation’ of young people, as new figures show that more than 1 million 16- to 24-year-olds in the UK were not in education, employment or training. The former Labour cabinet minister Alan Milburn said youth disengagement was a mounting economic risk to the country, and urged a fundamental reset of policy covering schools, the health service and the welfare state. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s senior economics correspondent, Richard Partington – watch on YouTube Continue reading...
Jannik Sinner described his shock second-round loss at the French Open and the physical difficulties that scuppered him as “tough to accept” considering his incredible form prior to the tournament. On Thursday, the world No 1’s body betrayed him as he suffered a monumental 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 defeat by Juan Manuel Cerúndolo of Argentina. “It’s tough to accept because of the position where I’ve...
Jannik Sinner described his shock second-round loss at the French Open and the physical difficulties that scuppered him as “tough to accept” considering his incredible form prior to the tournament. On Thursday, the world No 1’s body betrayed him as he suffered a monumental 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 defeat by Juan Manuel Cerúndolo of Argentina. “It’s tough to accept because of the position where I’ve been in and everything considered, but now I have a lot of time to recover,” he said. “I won’t play any tournament on grass before, most likely. Now I really need some time off, recover completely, also mentally, and then be ready to go again for Wimby.” This is one of the most shocking results in recent years. With last year’s champion Carlos Alcaraz out indefinitely due to a wrist injury, Sinner was expected to win his first French Open title and become only the second man in history to have won every significant annual title: four grand slams and nine Masters 1000, the ATP Finals and Davis Cup. The first was Novak Djokovic. Sinner entered Court Philippe-Chatrier on a 30-match winning streak. Despite having never won in Paris, according to some bookmakers he was an even heavier favourite coming into Roland Garros than anyone other than Rafael Nadal in 2009, whhen Nadal also failed to win. No player in the world has even come close to consistently challenging Sinner’s level over the past three months. It initially seemed like the Italian was cruising to victory as he rolled through the first two sets before establishing a 5-1 third set lead on Cerúndolo, the world No 56. Four points away from an uneventful win, the Italian began to shake out his legs and stumble between points. It did not take long until he could barely move on the court. From 5-1, Sinner lost 18 points in a row and five consecutive games as the match dramatically shifted. That sequence included Sinner receiving a medical evaluation leading 5-4 in the third set but trailing 0-40. Sinner also asked the ump...
nimis69/E+ via Getty Images Flowserve ( FLS ) should be poised to benefit from powerful trends in reindustrialization, power generation, nuclear energy, and energy security, but the company has significantly underperformed due to poor execution, activist shareholder Starboard Value said Thursday in a letter to its board . " Flowserve is a great business in a strong industry that has been held back...
nimis69/E+ via Getty Images Flowserve ( FLS ) should be poised to benefit from powerful trends in reindustrialization, power generation, nuclear energy, and energy security, but the company has significantly underperformed due to poor execution, activist shareholder Starboard Value said Thursday in a letter to its board . " Flowserve is a great business in a strong industry that has been held back by inconsistent execution," Starboard CEO Jeff Smith said in the letter. Starboard said Flowserve ( FLS ) must improve its margins or risk falling behind competitors; the company's peers have set a median operating profit margin target of 23% by 2028, while Flowserve has set a target of 20% by 2030, according to Starboard. Flowserve ( FLS ) should particularly benefit from the growth of nuclear energy, which already accounts for 20% of its backlog, and the company could become the "supplier of choice" for both traditional utility-scale nuclear plants and the small modular reactors now being developed for commercial use, Starboard said. "We will track the company's progress closely and will not hesitate to hold the board accountable if Flowserve fails to deliver results commensurate with the quality of its business," Smith wrote. While Flowserve ( FLS ) beat expectations for Q1 earnings , the company cut its sales forecast for FY 2026; since reporting earnings on April 29, its shares have slumped 13%. More on Flowserve Flowserve Presents at Bank of America 33rd Annual Industrials, Transportation and Airlines Key Leaders Conference Transcript Flowserve Q1 2026 Earnings Call Presentation Flowserve: The Unconventional Energy Play That Pays Off
Most capital chasing the generative AI theme has flowed into chips. Semiconductor funds have absorbed the bulk of inflows, and the price action shows it: the iShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXX) is up 87% year to date. The software layer, where applications, model providers, and enterprise platforms turn raw compute into recurring revenue, has trailed that ... After Comparing Every Generative A...
Most capital chasing the generative AI theme has flowed into chips. Semiconductor funds have absorbed the bulk of inflows, and the price action shows it: the iShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXX) is up 87% year to date. The software layer, where applications, model providers, and enterprise platforms turn raw compute into recurring revenue, has trailed that ... After Comparing Every Generative AI ETF These 3 Capture the Software Layer Most Investors Miss
Amazon is the biggest online retailer in the world. It’s made tens of billions of dollars in profit, and the company uses that cash to finance its businesses and projects for future earnings growth. Despite the massive take in earnings, the company hasn’t paid cash dividends to stockholders and has ...
Amazon is the biggest online retailer in the world. It’s made tens of billions of dollars in profit, and the company uses that cash to finance its businesses and projects for future earnings growth. Despite the massive take in earnings, the company hasn’t paid cash dividends to stockholders and has ...
Key Points Disney shares have underperformed the market over the past one, three, and five years. Big investments at its theme parks are just starting to pay off. Disney has had a slow start at the movies this year, but several big releases are slated for the next seven months. 10 stocks we like better than Walt Disney › There's a great, big, beautiful tomorrow coming for Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS). ...
Key Points Disney shares have underperformed the market over the past one, three, and five years. Big investments at its theme parks are just starting to pay off. Disney has had a slow start at the movies this year, but several big releases are slated for the next seven months. 10 stocks we like better than Walt Disney › There's a great, big, beautiful tomorrow coming for Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS). The market just either doesn't believe it or doesn't see it. Shares of the media giant have fallen 8% so far in 2026, down 5% over the past year. Zooming out, the House of Mouse continues to lag the overall market. Disney stock is up 18% over the past three years, but down a brutal 41% over the last five years. The market has gotten tired of waiting for a storybook finish, but there's still time for a "happily" in the "ever after." Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » Let's go over three reasons why now might be a good time to warm up to the out-of-favor icon. 1. Theme parks are experiencing a glow-up Disney is in the process of dramatically upgrading and updating its gated attractions. Let's focus on its largest resort, Disney World in Florida. The next few years will bring several major new additions. Remember watching some of Disney's recent animated hits, like Monsters, Inc. or Encanto, and wondering what it would be like to ride the conveyor belt of dangling closet doors in Monstropolis or to explore the magic of the Madrigal family? Those are just some of the new experiences coming to the world's most visited theme park resort in the next four or five years. It's part of an 11-figure investment to upgrade its offerings, and it's already paying off. Disney World has tackled some quick fixes over the last year, updating, if not completely retheming, some of its classic attractions. Test Tra...
Amazon is the biggest online retailer in the world. It’s made tens of billions of dollars in profit, and the company uses that cash to finance its businesses and projects for future earnings growth. Despite the massive take in earnings, the company hasn’t paid cash dividends to stockholders and has instead rewarded them in other ways, such as stock splits and buybacks. It’s a strategy not unlike i...
Amazon is the biggest online retailer in the world. It’s made tens of billions of dollars in profit, and the company uses that cash to finance its businesses and projects for future earnings growth. Despite the massive take in earnings, the company hasn’t paid cash dividends to stockholders and has instead rewarded them in other ways, such as stock splits and buybacks. It’s a strategy not unlike its peers in the tech industry, in which the focus is on reinvesting earnings back into key business opportunities to boost profitability. Here’s a deeper look at why Amazon has yet to pay a cash dividend and how many times it has split its shares. Why doesn’t Amazon pay cash dividends? Amazon has never paid a cash dividend to shareholders. The company has historically used its cash to finance other ventures to increase profit. It’s a strategy that Amazon used early in its formative years, expanding sales from books when it first billed itself as "Earth's Biggest Bookstore” to music and other consumer goods such as computer monitors and household gadgets. In its formative years, even as sales grew, billions of dollars in losses piled on before it turned a profit in 2003. The company also focused on growing its businesses in warehousing and distribution, logistics, and delivery, and then expanded into other ventures such as electronic assistance (Alexa), advertising, and pharmaceuticals. In recent years, its priorities have included integrating its cloud computing services into Amazon Web Services (AWS) and AI data centers, which require significant financial investments. To reward shareholders, the company has repurchased stock to boost its earnings on a per-share basis. When it announced its latest stock split in 2022, it also authorized a $10 billion stock buyback plan. As of the end of 2025, the retailer had $6.1 billion remaining in the repurchase program. For investors who want to buy Amazon’s stock without going through a transfer agent like a broker, the retailer uses...
Mortgage rates increased for the second consecutive week, showed the latest Freddie Mac ( FMCC ) Primary Mortgage Survey. 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 6.53% as of May 28, up from 6.51% last week and below the year-ago level of 6.89%. 15-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 5.87%, up from 5.85% last week and below 6.03% a year ago. "Pending home sales have increased three months in a row, in...
Mortgage rates increased for the second consecutive week, showed the latest Freddie Mac ( FMCC ) Primary Mortgage Survey. 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 6.53% as of May 28, up from 6.51% last week and below the year-ago level of 6.89%. 15-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 5.87%, up from 5.85% last week and below 6.03% a year ago. "Pending home sales have increased three months in a row, indicating there’s latent demand and homebuyers are ready to jump back into the market if mortgage rates decline," said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's chief economist. More related to Mortgages U.S. New Home Market Cap Recovers From Blizzards Mortgage demand plunges as rates rise; refinancing activities dip
Following the likes of Micron Technologies (MU), which reached a $1 trillion market cap this week, and Sandisk (SNDK), which is up more than 4,000% over the last 12 months, Vishay Intertechnology (VSH) has gained nearly 200% in the last two months, as a new semiconductor growth driver gains steam. But unlike the memory names leading the move, Vishay isn't a pure-play AI infrastructure stock. Its s...
Following the likes of Micron Technologies (MU), which reached a $1 trillion market cap this week, and Sandisk (SNDK), which is up more than 4,000% over the last 12 months, Vishay Intertechnology (VSH) has gained nearly 200% in the last two months, as a new semiconductor growth driver gains steam. But unlike the memory names leading the move, Vishay isn't a pure-play AI infrastructure stock. Its surge is being driven by a depressed cycle finally catching the upswing, with the AI data center theme acting as a catalyst. The real story, as I've noted in recent coverage (here), is the analog and industrial semiconductor recovery. A broad cyclical upturn is now showing up and Vishay is among the clearest evidence yet that it's underway. Zacks Investment Research Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Vishay Stock Rallies Following Strong Earnings For most of the prior two years, Vishay was a name to avoid as a brutal inventory correction across analog and passive components left the stock languishing, with negative trailing earnings and free cash flow weighed down by heavy capex. A classic beaten-down cyclical waiting on a demand turn. That turn arrived with the Q1 2026 report on May 13. Revenue came in at $839.2 million, beating both consensus and the company's own $800–$830 million guidance, and rising 17.3% year over year. The company swung back to a GAAP profit of $0.05 per share against a $0.03 estimate. More telling than the beat was the order signal underneath it: a book-to-bill ratio of 1.34 and a 21% increase in backlog to $1.6 billion. Book-to-bill measures new orders received against products shipped over a period; a reading of 1.0 means demand is simply replacing what's going out the door, while anything above 1.0 means orders are arriving faster than the company can ship them, a leading indicator of future revenue. At 1.34, and broad across regions and product lines, Vishay's order book is accelerating, not spiking in one corner. Based on these developments...
Defense drone stocks are surging at midday Thursday after a Wall Street Journal and CNBC report indicated the Pentagon is in talks with drone manufacturers about funding deals that could include direct federal equity stakes. Unusual Machines (NYSE:UMAC) stock leads the rally with a 58% intraday jump, while Red Cat Holdings (NASDAQ:RCAT) stock is up ... Trump Invested in Intel And it Soared 500%. H...
Defense drone stocks are surging at midday Thursday after a Wall Street Journal and CNBC report indicated the Pentagon is in talks with drone manufacturers about funding deals that could include direct federal equity stakes. Unusual Machines (NYSE:UMAC) stock leads the rally with a 58% intraday jump, while Red Cat Holdings (NASDAQ:RCAT) stock is up ... Trump Invested in Intel And it Soared 500%. Here’s the Next Industry the Government is Buying.
'Tank Bottoms' Loom At Cushing After Across-The-Board Inventory Draws, Another Huge SPR Drain Oil prices bounced higher overnight after the US and Iran exchanged new strikes despite their purported ceasefire , rekindling uncertainty about an end to the Middle East war. The latest strikes were the most serious since an April ceasefire, and came despite a series of headlines suggesting talks on a de...
'Tank Bottoms' Loom At Cushing After Across-The-Board Inventory Draws, Another Huge SPR Drain Oil prices bounced higher overnight after the US and Iran exchanged new strikes despite their purported ceasefire , rekindling uncertainty about an end to the Middle East war. The latest strikes were the most serious since an April ceasefire, and came despite a series of headlines suggesting talks on a deal were progressing. "A fresh exchange of strikes between the two countries is testing the fragile ceasefire and forcing a reassessment of the chances of a near-term agreement which can reopen the Strait of Hormuz and dial down the pressure the crisis is putting on the global economy," said AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould. But then, around 1000ET, Axios reports that U.S. and Iranian negotiators have reached an agreement on a 60-day memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire and launch negotiations on Iran's nuclear program. That sent oil prices reeling lower ... With the geopolitical headlines so dominant, this morning's official US crude inventory and supply data is taking a back seat to Washington and Tehran again (despite some chunky draws reported by API overnight). API Crude -2.8mm Cushing -2.9mm Gasoline -3.19mm Distillates +1.1mm DOE Crude -3.33mm (-3.2mm exp) Cushing -2.79mm - biggest draw since Aug 2023 Gasoline -2.57mm Distillates -2.11mm Inventories saw across the board drawdowns with Cushing standing out. Distillate draws returned as gasoline stocks fell for the 15th straight week Source: Bloomberg 'Tank Bottoms' loom as inventory at Cushing is the lowest for this time of year since 2014... The Strategic Petroleum Reserve saw another major drawdown (over 9mm barrels)... Source: Bloomberg US Crude production ticked higher as rig counts are rising rapidly... Source: Bloomberg The market has backed away from believing the Axios report (after a denial from Iranian news) and the big draw is helping WTI recover... "The bigger picture is that crude is s...
is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Next month’s Tribeca Festival will include the premiere of an AI-generated film: Dreams of Violets. The 75-minute film is a fictional dramatization of the Iranian g...
is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Next month’s Tribeca Festival will include the premiere of an AI-generated film: Dreams of Violets. The 75-minute film is a fictional dramatization of the Iranian government’s mass killing of protestors in January, with the people and images fully created by AI, as reported earlier by The Hollywood Reporter. Dreams of Violets cost $2,000 to make and is “based on journalistic reports, photographs, and eyewitness accounts,” according to a press release. It was created by Ash and Pooya Koosha, two brothers who left Iran in 2009. Pooya co-founded Fountain 0, the company behind the film, while Ash serves as CEO. Fountain 0 says Dreams of Violets is the first full-length, live-action, AI-generated film to be accepted at a major film festival. As noted by The Hollywood Reporter, a costlier AI-generated film called Hell Grind screened at Cannes — but at a side event, not the main program. The Pooya brothers say they used Google’s Nano Banana for images, Kling AI for video generation, and Anthropic’s Claude for language editing, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “We fully understand the very genuine sensitivities of those individuals working in the movie industry, and like them we are worried what the unknown implications are for the livelihoods of many,” the Kooshas say in the release. “But the reality is that this film never would have been made if it were not for the AI capabilities that we were able to develop.” Dreams of Violets will screen at the Tribeca Festival on June 10th.
Burlington Stores (NYSE:BURL) reported stronger-than-expected fiscal first-quarter results, with executives saying the off-price retailer benefited from broad-based comp growth, better markdown execution and supply chain productivity. Chief Executive Officer Michael O'Sullivan said the company delivered a 26% increase in adjusted earnings per share, marking what he called Burlington's 14th consecu...
Burlington Stores (NYSE:BURL) reported stronger-than-expected fiscal first-quarter results, with executives saying the off-price retailer benefited from broad-based comp growth, better markdown execution and supply chain productivity. Chief Executive Officer Michael O'Sullivan said the company delivered a 26% increase in adjusted earnings per share, marking what he called Burlington's 14th consecutive quarter of double-digit earnings growth. Total sales rose 14% in the quarter, while comparable store sales increased 6%, above the company's prior guidance range of 2% to 4%. "This track record demonstrates our ability to consistently convert higher sales into margin expansion, thereby driving very strong earnings flow-through," O'Sullivan said. Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Kristin Wolfe said first-quarter adjusted EPS was $2.10, above Burlington's guidance range of $1.60 to $1.75. Adjusted EBIT margin was 6.3%, up 20 basis points from the prior year and ahead of guidance that had called for a 60- to 100-basis-point decline. Comparable Sales Beat Guidance O'Sullivan said first-quarter comp trends were "broad-based across businesses and geographies," with particular strength in ladies' apparel, beauty and accessories. He also highlighted warm-weather categories, including shorts, short-sleeved tops, swimwear, sandals and sunglasses, which he said accounted for about 25% of first-quarter sales and posted double-digit comp growth. The company attributed part of the strength to upgraded allocation and localization capabilities. O'Sullivan said Burlington historically had struggled with seasonal transitions, in part because of its legacy as an outerwear retailer, but newer systems allowed the company to make more precise allocation decisions. "We know that we're never going to be able to control the weather, but we can get better at responding to it," O'Sullivan said during the question-and-answer session. Wolfe said the Northeast and Midwest were th...
Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE:BBW) reported lower first-quarter fiscal 2026 revenue as weaker store and online traffic offset growth in its commercial segment, while management reduced its full-year revenue outlook and pointed to a more cautious consumer environment. The company also used the call to mark a leadership transition. Sharon John, who has served as chief executive officer for 13 years, s...
Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE:BBW) reported lower first-quarter fiscal 2026 revenue as weaker store and online traffic offset growth in its commercial segment, while management reduced its full-year revenue outlook and pointed to a more cautious consumer environment. The company also used the call to mark a leadership transition. Sharon John, who has served as chief executive officer for 13 years, said her last day as CEO will be June 11. Chris Hurt, currently chief operating officer and CEO-elect, will take the helm. John said Hurt has played a central role in global retail operations, location expansion and the company’s product and brand go-to-market strategy. First-quarter sales decline as traffic softens Build-A-Bear posted total revenue of $125.3 million, down 2.4% from the prior year. Hurt said the company had expected revenue to be approximately flat year over year based on trends through mid-March, but traffic and results weakened as the quarter progressed. Hurt said management believes part of the softness reflects “a broader macro shift,” citing cautious consumer sentiment, geopolitical concerns and related price increases. He said the company still saw strength around key occasions, including its best Valentine’s Day in North American history and a solid Easter performance. Chief Financial Officer Voin Todorovic said the direct-to-consumer segment declined as transactions fell, primarily because of reduced store traffic. Domestic traffic was down 7%, lagging U.S. national retail traffic trends, while e-commerce demand declined 26.1% as web traffic remained soft. Average unit retail and units per transaction increased, helping lift dollars per transaction when customers did engage with the brand. The commercial segment, which primarily represents wholesale revenue, continued to grow. Todorovic said commercial revenue, combined with international franchise revenue, rose 34.1% in the quarter. Tariff refund boosts profit and gross margin Gross margin was 63.8%...